Local News

CDOT buying easements from Fort Morgan

Likely part of lead-up to work on I-76 from Log Lane to Barlow Road, Nation says

By Jenni Grubbs

Times Staff Writer

Posted:
12/06/2017 05:15:26 PM MST

Much like this view of Interstate 76 near Dodd Bridge Road in 2013, cone zones could be in store for the stretch of I-76 between the Log Lane Village and Barlow Road exits in coming years if the Colorado Department of Transportation gets funding from the state for its planned Phase V project of interstate and interchange improvements. (Fort Morgan Times file photo)

For many years, Fort Morgan city officials have been hearing about plans for the Phase V improvements to Interstate 76 that the Colorado Department of Transportation intends to make at some point.

Phase V would include redoing the interchanges connecting I-76 to Log Lane Village and Fort Morgan's Main Street and Barlow Road, along with rebuilding the interstate along that stretch and work on utilities and drainage in those areas, according to Fort Morgan Water Resources/Utilities Director Brent Nation.

Work on the interstate on either side of this stretch has already been completed, he pointed out.

"When you drive down our interstate, it is nice concrete when you go west of town, and it is nice concrete when you go east of town, but there's this middle section that needs some TLC," Nation said. "CDOT if very aware of this. They've been planning it for now it seems like a long time."

Now it sounds like it could be in the cards for that Phase V work to actually happen over the next year or two, according to what Nation told the city council Tuesday night. However, that is entirely dependent on state funding, he cautioned.

Still, Nation has seen a change lately in what the city is hearing and receiving from CDOT, with requests to purchase easements from the city and plans for intergovernmental agreements to be made early next year.

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"CDOT seems to really be wanting to get all of the paperwork in order on this Phase V portion of the project," Nation said, which to him indicated hopes for getting the project funding in the fiscal year that will start next July.

On Tuesday night, he asked the council to consider request from CDOT to purchase four small easements from the city, including two by the Main Street I-76 exit and two by the Barlow Road exit.

The offer from CDOT was for a total of $3,500 for the four easements, which Nation said were not land purchases.

"That's the price they're willing to pay," he said.

One of the easements was far more expensive than the other three, according to CDOT's valuations, due to "two mature cottonwood trees" valued at $1,990.

"I think the most expensive thing is one of the little 80-foot-by-80-foot easements has two trees that they're going to pay us for. That would seem to be valued at more than anything, was the two trees they're going to take out," he told the council about one of the requested easements.

"Those are very expensive trees," Councilwoman Lisa Northrup noted.

Nation said he had visited the site with the trees with Parks Department Superintendent Doak Duke, Interim Community Services Director Ty Hamer, and they determined it would not greatly impact the city to give them up as part of selling the easement to CDOT.

He explained that the other easements included "an additional little sliver along the ramp that is our property that we have title to, but it's between the ditch and the interstate so it's nothing that we ever use or do anything with," as well as two at "the very east end of Riverside Park," where a storm sewer pipe would need to pass through in order for it to reach the South Platte River.

Nation said he could not confirm that officially, but it was his understanding.

"They want to be ready to go," he said of CDOT and Phase V. "The plans are pretty much done on the project. They're considered shelf ready. They want to have all the easements acquired for the project, so that's what they're in the process of doing."

Nation also told the council he expects to have intergovernmental agreements related to this project ready for consideration of approval early next year.

"You kind of sense all of a sudden... we're getting all the paperwork. Before, all it was, was just draft sets of plans, and now all of a sudden we're getting all the paperwork in order," he said. "So they must be anticipating receiving (funding for Phase V). Now whether they do or not, there's lots of variables there, but they're trying to have everything ready so if they do receive the funding they can move forward without having any roadblocks."

Northrup and the mayor jumped on that.

"No pun intended: roadblocks," she said, with Shaver adding, "There will be plenty of roadblocks."

Still, the mayor said he thinks the end result of Phase V will be "a good asset for the community."

The council approved 6-0 selling the four easements to CDOT for $3,500, with Councilman Kevin Lindell absent.

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